ADHD is one of the most fundamentally misnamed disorders.
Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Let’s unpack that.
Attention-Deficit. This in of itself is misleading. I, as someone with ADHD, do not have a deficit of attention. What I do have is an extremely hard time choosing where to focus it. I can focus, for hours, with more intensity and more productively than most neurotypical people, but only on things like good books and video games and my writing and wikipedia rabbit holes and music. I cannot focus on things like homework and my job and keeping my room from turning into an absolute hurricane-level disaster and ordering my groceries. It’s not a deficit of attention, the attention is there, it’s just that I do not get to choose where it is focused.
Hyperactivity. Hyperactivity is a type of ADHD. I have combined type, so I am hyperactive, but my best friend? They have inattentive ADHD. They can sit still, and don’t need to fidget, and they are not hyperactive. But they still have ADHD. Hyperactivity is a type of ADHD, not a fundamental part of it. It’s like calling all cake “chocolate cake” even if some cakes are vanilla.
My suggestion for a new name? SRDD. Self-Regulation-Deficit Disorder. If you disagree, I’d love to hear why, and if you have another suggestion instead! Just be civil.